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Renaissance College students share results of social impact projects

For the past seven months, final year students from the faculty of leadership studies at the University of New Brunswick’s Renaissance College have been collaborating with local partners on exciting new community projects. They will share the results of this work at the inaugural Renaissance College Leadership Program and Community Partners Symposium on March 31.

“The Community Problem Solving and Research Project course takes our students out of the classroom so they can develop leadership and complex problem solving through community partnership experiences,” says Dr. Roxanne Reeves, academic chair for the symposium. “I am confident that we will all be inspired by the results of these meaningful engagements.”

The student-led symposium will focus on three themes:

Service Learning

Community Engagement

Community Problem Solving

Students have worked with community-based organizations, crown corporations, government departments, philanthropic organizations, non-governmental organizations, and grassroots groups.

“These projects are the culmination of our years of study at Renaissance College; an opportunity to put our skills to work on projects with both local and provincial significance,” says Rebecca Randal, the symposium’s student chair. “Not only have we had the opportunity to undertake meaningful work through these partnerships, we’ve gained valuable experiences that will serve us well long after we’ve left Renaissance College.”

Community partners are equally impressed with the experience of working with these dynamic young leaders.

“Having been involved with this class as a community partner with several organizations, I have always been struck with the value the RC students bring to us in terms of reciprocal benefit," says Sue Rickards from Sunrise Partnership for Agriculture Development and Education (SPADE). "While we are mentors to them, we are also acquiring new information and perspectives from them to which we would not have access by any other means. It's definitely a two-way street when it comes to learning!”

“This symposium is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the power of experiential education when coupled with meaningful, problem-solving projects,” says Sara Taafe, a Renaissance College student consultant with the Nature Trust. “Community Problem Solving allows students to assess a problem faced within the community, identify what stakeholders are involved and impacted, and collectively collaborate on a sustainable solution that can be adapted by an entire community."

"What is most satisfying is knowing that part of my education is going towards creating something bigger, something that that allows me to gain experience and knowledge while also making a substantial impact in my community – it puts meaning and purpose to work that I am doing.”

The symposium will begin with a keynote address from Hon. Graydon Nicholas, former Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick. We encourage everyone from the community to attend and learn about the Renaissance College's social impact learning programs.